


Bitter Daylight

by NoirAngel011



Series: Robin Needs Hugs and Steve Provides [6]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Aftermath of Violence, Canon Lesbian Character, Crying, Gen, Mentions of Violence, Post-Season/Series 03, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-03 10:56:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21178274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoirAngel011/pseuds/NoirAngel011
Summary: The sun was too bright, Robin's cries were too loud, and Steve just needed to be sure she was okay. Steve and Robin have a heart-to-heart the morning after The Battle of StarCourt





	Bitter Daylight

Steve woke up to the phone ringing off the hook. It took him a second to register what had happened.

_ The mall. The monster. The fire. _

** _Robin._ **

His thoughts immediately went to Robin and how utterly terrified she had been the night before. She had clung to him in the back of the cop car until the very last second. The officer wouldn’t let her go back to his house because ‘They both needed to be with their parents right now.’

Bullshit. His parents didn’t give a shit. But Robin, she did. And Steve had vowed to protect her with his life.

He grabbed the phone right on the last ring.

“Hello, Harrington,” Steve really hoped that it was Robin on the other side.

“Dingus! Oh thank god you’re okay.”   
Robin sounded relieved, but her voice shook. Steve’s heart started racing.

She stayed quiet on the other side. Steve heard her sniffle.

“”Robin, what’s wrong?”

“I- I just…”Steve could hear the tears in her voice. “It’s all coming back to me and I-” Robin went quiet. Steve heard shuffling, a sniffle, then coughing. Then she set down the phone on some sort of counter. Steve could hear footsteps, it sounded like Robin running away.

He waited, and after a few minutes Robin picked the phone up again.

“St-” Robin had to clear her throat. Her cough sounded strangled and strained. “Steve? You still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here. Do- do you want me to come over? To keep you company?” Steve could tell that she wanted him to be with her but was too shy to ask. He was pretty sure that the thoughts of last night had caused her to throw up again just a moment ago, much like last night when everything stopped and the reality set in. 

“Would you please? I don’t wanna be alone..” Robin trailed off. He could tell she was zoning out. That was what she always did at work, she would be saying something and would suddenly space out of the conversation and stare into space. Sometimes he was convinced that her brain was always running a million miles a minute.

“Just hang tight for a few minutes, I’m coming over.” Steve told her before letting her hang up. He quickly changed threw on some sweatpants and grabbed his spare keys from his dresser. Is car had been towed to his house last night, considering he was in no shape to drive.

He pulled up to her house in less than ten minutes. He was probably speeding, but he didn’t care. Robin was really important to him.

He jumped out of the car and ran up the path, hopping up the stairs to the porch.

He knocked on the door and caught his face in the reflection of the screen.

Shit. He forgot that his face was still swollen and beaten. He really hoped it was Robin who answered the door. 

Thankfully it was, and when she opened the front door his heart broke.

There were dark bags under her eyes,her skin was pale and sweaty, and her hands were shaking. She was in pajamas, a loose tank top and thin shorts to combat the heat wave Hawkins’ was experiencing. 

“H-hey Steve,” Robin leaned her head against the door. She gripped the doorknob, her fingers barely grasping it before slipping off. She tried to play it off, but they both knew that she felt like garbage.

“Come on in,” Robin stepped aside so that he could step into the house, but used the door as her support to keep herself upright.

Once he was in the foyer, he took Robin into his arms and shut the door behind them. He could tell that she was moments from collapsing and needed to get off her feet.

Steve carried Robin down the hall and to the living room, setting her down gently on the couch.

He took the blanket from a nearby chair and draped it over Robin, who was still shaking slightly.

Moving to the other side of the couch, Steve sat down next to Robin and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him. She seemed to press deeper into his touch. 

Steve was surprised. Robin was normally closed off. She didn’t like touching people and she didn’t like people touching her. This was progress to their relationship four days ago. Trauma really did bond people, like Nancy said.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Steve reached up and moved a piece of hair from her face carefully, tucking it back behind her ear. She looked up at him with watering eyes. He could see a whirlwind of emotions inside of her, and somehow knew exactly what she was feeling.

Hurt, upset, scared, confused, disgruntled, hopeful, malcontented, gross, and captivated. It was all rolled up into one seething ball ready to burst any second. He couldn’t tell if that bursting was unshed tears or something else.

Robin opened her mouth to speak. Then there was a call from the kitchen.

“Robin?! Is someone here?!” Her dad called from where he was cooking breakfast.

“Uh- yeah dad! Just a friend from work!” Steve could hear the shaking in her voice, they both could. She hoped her dad didn’t notice.

There was no response and they assumed he didn’t care. Robin opened her mouth to speak again.

“I-I just want to know what happened last night. I just want to understand. An-and I don’t want to be alone.” A single tear fell down Robin’s face. Steve moved his hand up and brushed it away from her cheek, cupping the side of her face gently.

“I don’t think it’s possible to understand, Robin. I’ve been doing this for almost a year now and still have no idea what’s going on. I do know that, that- what happened last night- was not a good first experience with all this.” Steve tried to be reassuring, but he didn’t know how well he got that point across. Robin’s blue eyes watered.

“And I get it, I get it if you want to just step away next time this happens, if you want to let the rest of us fight it and keep yourself safe. Because you deserve that much. You didn’t ask to be dragged into this, and I’m not going to make you stay in this.” Steve reached over and took her hand.

Robin shook her head. “No Steve, I got myself wrapped up into all this mess, and I’m staying. It feels like ate, like I’m meant to be here with all of you, fighting these monsters and evil Russians.” Robin words rang through Steve’s ears. 

He leaned forward and hugged her. Robin hugged him back.

“Robby! Robby!”

The two practically flew out of each other's arms when they heard the screaming of her eight-year-old brother running into the room.

His eyes were wide as he stared at the two.

“Daddy! Robby has a boyfriend!!” Jacob screamed into the kitchen on the other side of the living room wall.

“I DO NOT! God, you are so annoying. Just leave me alone.” Robin crossed her arms over her chest and blew her hair out of her face. She was blushing though. She already hated being called Steve’s girlfriend, and they had been friends for less than 72 hours.

“Breakfast is ready,” Was all Jacob said before running back into the kitchen.

Robin leaned back against the couch, her eyes finally overflowing with tears.

Steve took her back into his arms, hugging Robin close. He let her cry into his shirt, the tears pooling and soaking through the thin material. 

He could have sat there with her the rest of the day, but eventually they had to go eat with Robin’s brother and dad. Steve wondered what happened to her mom, he’d have to ask later when she wasn’t teary-eyed and shaking.

Breakfast was, uncomfortable to say the least. Her dad wouldn’t believe that they were just friends, but at least he didn’t ask about the scars covering Steve’s face.

Jacob was really annoying, although Steve could tell that Robin did really love him. Despite her screaming when he threw a chunk of syrup covered waffle at her, Robin just barely being able to dodge it.

They spent the rest of the day in Robin’s bedroom, sitting on her bed and sometimes talking, sometimes just sitting in comfortable silence. 

It was nice. And while Robin knew she might not be able to ever wrap her head around the evil Russians or the upside-down, she felt content with that as long as Steve was there with her.  



End file.
